— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — As the Marshall football team continues preparation for the upcoming season, there’s early basketball talk in Huntington after the Sun Belt Conference released the 2024-2025 league schedules for women’s and men’s hoops.
All schools will play an 18-game league schedule.
Conference play begins for the women December 29 against Texas state, while the men get an earlier start December 21 at Southern Miss.
New MU women’s coach Juli Fulks takes over a program that won Sun Belt regular season and tournament titles under the guidance of her predecessor, Kim Caldwell, who left for Tennessee following one season in Huntington. Marshall had a school-best 26-7 overall record last season, including 17-1 in the Sun Belt, and lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Virginia Tech.
After welcoming Texas State for the league opener, the Herd women play four consecutive road games, followed by four straight home games. In that stretch, the Herd will face the rival James Madison Dukes twice in seven days, playing at JMU on January 9 and hosting the Dukes on January 15 at the Henderson Center.
Marshall wraps up its conference schedule with home games in late February against Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia State.
The Marshall women will also host a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge on February 8 at the Henderson Center.
First-year Marshall men’s coach Cornelius Jackson takes over a program that finished 13-20 last season following the loss of key players Taevion Kinsey, Andrew Taylor and center Micah Handlogten. Marshall was 7-11 in league play in 2023-2024.
The MU men start Sun Belt play four days before Christmas, then return home after the start of the New Year for four straight home games against Texas State, Troy, James Madison and Georgia Southern.
Much like the Marshall women, the men will take on JMU twice over a stretch of eight days as the Herd visits the Dukes on January 16. The four-game home stand is followed by four straight road games.
The Marshall men wrap up the Sun Belt season with home games February 25 against Old Dominion and February 28 against Appalachian State.
The Marshall men are not playing in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge for a second straight year.
The full schedules for the Marshall teams will be released in the near future.
The 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference basketball season will culminate with the 2025 Hercules Tires Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship which will be held March 4-10, 2025 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.
2024-25 Marshall Men’s Basketball Conference Schedule
Dec. 21 at Southern Miss
Jan. 2 Texas State
Jan. 4 Troy
Jan. 9 James Madison
Jan. 11 Georgia Southern
Jan. 16 at James Madison
Jan. 18 at Coastal Carolina
Jan. 23 at Georgia State
Jan. 25 at Georgia Southern
Jan. 30 Georgia State
Feb. 1 Coastal Carolina
Feb. 5 Arkansas State
Feb. 13 at South Alabama
Feb. 15 at Louisiana
Feb. 20 at Old Dominion
Feb. 22 at App State
Feb. 25 Old Dominion
Feb. 28 App State
Mar. 4-10 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship
2024-25 Marshall Women’s Basketball Conference Schedule
Dec. 29 Texas State
Jan. 2 at Arkansas State
Jan. 4 at Troy
Jan. 9 at James Madison
Jan. 11 at Old Dominion
Jan. 15 James Madison
Jan. 18 App State
Jan. 22 Georgia Southern
Jan. 25 Southern Miss
Jan. 29 at Coastal Carolina
Feb. 1 at Georgia Southern
Feb. 5 at Louisiana
Feb. 13 Old Dominion
Feb. 15 Coastal Carolina
Feb. 19 at App State
Feb. 22 at Georgia State
Feb. 26 ULM
Feb. 28 Georgia State
Mar. 4-10 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship